Choosing the correct artist paintbrush is key in painting grass.
Small children or beginning artists typically just cover the bottom of their sheet of paper or canvas with a solid shade of green to represent grassy areas. Getting a professional looking grass scene on your artwork is not a difficult process. Using the correct artist paintbrush and paint colors is the key to success. Considering the light source in your painting and adding light and dark areas helps to create grass scenes that resemble those found in nature.
Instructions
1. Cover the bottom of your canvas with earth tones, such as dark taupe, brown or black. Keep in mind the direction of your light source. For instance, if the light source in your painting is coming from the right side, the soil and grassy area need to be darker in color on the left side of the canvas or wood. Allow the earth tones to dry before continuing.
2. Load your worn-out fan or wisp brush with a dark green shade of paint. Do not overload the brush; you don't want to fully cover the earth-tone shades. Allow dark areas to peek through the blades of grass, just as they do in nature. This technique provides the painting with shadows and texture.
3. Hold the brush at a flat angle and dab the dark green color over the earth-tone shades, beginning at the bottom of the canvas or wood and working up toward the top of the earth-tone shades. Use a firm stroke at the bottom of the grass and then lift up quickly with an upward motion to create the blades of grass.The different lengths of a worn-out fan or wisp brush give the grassy area a realistic look.
4. Clean your brush and load it with the medium green shade. Start dabbing the painting in the same fashion. Concentrate the medium green shade all over the earth-tone area, but heavier on the darkest side of the canvas or wood, away from the light source.
5. Clean your fan brush and load it with the lightest shade of green. Dab the heaviest concentration on the side of the painting with the light source. Use less in the darker areas to create contrast in the grassy scene and to allow for the dimming of the light source.
